I lived in Seattle a few years ago. Not only was it one of the friendliest, most beautiful places I’d ever been, it was also one of the most delicious! One of the greatest culinary treasures was the overabundance of Vietnamese restaurants. You didn’t have to look far to find a great bowl of pho or tasty banh mi.

My searching led me to the holy grail of banh mi sandwiches. Yeh Yeh’s Vietnamese sandwich shop. If you are within 1000 miles of the Seattle area, you need to go to this restaurant. I’m not lying or exaggerating when I say that I ate there at least 3 times a week (typically more) and often would eat there twice a day. They really are that incredible. Anytime a friend or family member visits the Emerald City, I demand that they go to Yeh Yeh’s. All have gone, all are obsessed.

Moving back East, I’ve yet to find a comparable banh mi. I’ve found good versions, including a new spot that recently opened in the neighborhood my office is located in. Lucky for me, that banh mi is pretty scrumptious. I have to admit, it’s no Yeh Yeh’s… but is a worthy contender.

My younger brother, a Yeh Yeh’s convert, gave me the The Banh Mi Handbook for Christmas last year. I couldn’t wait to start making my own banh mi at home! Making this sandwich does require some planning and extra work, it’s definitely worth it though! The roll, which is usually the biggest hurdle in finding a great banh mi, is completely delicious. Fresh baked rolls and bread always elevate any meal to another level and this sandwich is no exception. The beef is seasoned perfectly and has just the right amount of sweet and salty. The carrots, daikon, cucumber and cilantro bring everything together. The sandwich is light and refreshing but also comforting.

If you haven’t had a banh mi, make this today! If you’ve had banh mi and love them, make this today! I promise you will not regret it!

The fried green tomato strikes again! I was in the grocery store a few days ago and walked by a beautiful bushel of shining, gorgeous, green tomatoes, I couldn’t resist grabbing a few. There is something about these little green gems… Like the Sirens calling to Odysseus, green tomatoes beckon me with their song.

When green tomato season first arrives, I only want straight-up fried green tomatoes with minimal toppings or sauces. After a long winter with no fresh tomatoes, I want to taste as much of this pure, tart fruit as possible. The crispy, crunchy outside with succulent, acidic center is to die for. When I’ve had my fill of these, I start thinking of different ways to make and consume them.

Say hello to the BLFGT – the bacon, lettuce and fried green tomato sandwich! BLT’s have long been a favorite sandwich of mine. I used to work at Johns Hopkins University… During the summer months, my friend Carolyn and I would go to a nearby market and get iced teas and basic BLT’s for lunch nearly every day. The tomatoes were at their freshest and made the sandwich more delectable than usual.

Common knowledge dictates that it’s nearly impossible to ruin a meal when bacon is a main ingredient. I think that fried green tomatoes also fall into this category. They are twangy, sweet and juicy… Frying adds extra texture and flavor to this classic sandwich while giving you something fresh and new. Changing up the original has been a fun and tasty. Using the traditional ingredients like crisp, cool lettuce, rich mayo and salty bacon brings this upgraded sandwich together. By using only a few fresh ingredients, everything is able to stand out individually, which I love.

This version of the BLT tastes just as awesome as the original. Try this recipe next time you make one and let me know what you think in the comments!

For a first timer, eating soft shell crabs can be a strange experience. The plate arrives with an entire crab ready to be eaten, legs and all. Yes, you eat the entire thing! Don’t be afraid, any trepidation will be gone in one bite. This is THE crab-lovers crab sandwich.

Soft shells are blue crabs that recently molted their exoskeleton. They must be immediately harvested after they molt, before they start hardening again. During the molting process, they fatten themselves up to survive the ordeal. This creates a intense, full crab flavor that can be found in any other dish. Once molted, they are soft enough to eat the entire thing. You can buy soft shells still alive and clean them yourself. But, I recommend having the fish guy or gal clean them for you. Basically they just remove the undesirable parts – gills, mouth pieces, etc. If you’re interested, here’s a great tutorial from Serious Eats on how to DIY it.

People go crazy over soft shell crabs in general, but most notably on the DelMarVa Peninsula (Delaware, Maryland, Virgina… and also the Southern PA area). My husband and in-laws fall into that category. If a soft shell crab is on a menu, they are all ordering one. I understand the fanaticism… soft shells have a short season and there aren’t many available. They can be extremely hard to come by, it took me nearly 2 weeks to snag these.

One of our favorite spots in Baltimore, that we specifically go to for the soft shell sandwich, is LP Steamers. The soft shells at Steamers have become the stuff of legends. They pan sear huge softshells in a sauté pan with butter and some Old Bay. The kicker? It’s stuffed with jumbo lump crabmeat. When you take a bite there is an explosion of blue crab. It comes right out of the pan to your table and tastes incredible… hot, crispy, rich and most importantly, crab-tastic. I usually tempt my allergies to get a bite or two, the crispy fried legs are my favorite!

Playing on LP Steamers minimalist approach, I only used a few ingredients to season my soft shells: flour, Old Bay and butter for sautéing. That’s all you need, just like crab balls, you want the predominate flavor to be crab. The other ingredients are for enhancing, they’re not the stars of the show. The flour helps crisp up them up and Old Bay is pretty much a given with any crab recipe in this house. And butter goes well with many seafood dishes, including this one.

Toss these badboys on a soft roll, fresh tomato and cool, crisp lettuce and this is a sandwich you won’t forget! So, ready to give them a try?

If you already make these at home, let me know how you do it in the comments!